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Dec 16, 2017

Turkey Noodle Soup from Scratch

This turkey noodle soup from scratch is pure comfort food. Any time we roast a turkey, especially around the holidays, we save the carcass to make the broth for this turkey soup.

Making homemade turkey soup after Thanksgiving or Christmas is probably the biggest food tradition that Mr. Kitchen and I share. He is a big fan of soup of any kind, so, years ago, when someone told him that you could make homemade turkey soup from the leftover carcass, he decided to take on making turkey soup from scratch.
Keep in mind, he normally doesn't cook food from scratch! At the time, the only cookbook we had was The Joy of Cooking, which he closely consulted (there were no Interwebs, and I hadn't begun to amass my ridiculously huge cookbook collection).

Each year, the soup got better and better, and I always looked forward to his turkey soup each year.

When I started sharing recipes online, one of the first things I wanted to post was his turkey soup. Since then, I've let him make the annual soup, until last year, when I highjacked the carcass to make this delicious Five Spice Turkey Noodle Soup. I don't think he was too happy about it at first, because it didn't have a ton of potatoes and vegetables, but the flavors of the soup won him over.

This year, I placed dibs on the carcass once again, and made this traditional turkey noodle soup with egg noodles, carrots, celery, corn, and fresh dill.

Mr. Kitchen loved it. Just so he doesn't get used to me making the soup, I may have to relinquish the turkey next year.

Note: You can make this soup any time of the year, even if you don't have a turkey carcass. For a delicious chicken noodle soup, you can use 2 to 3 store bought rotisserie chickens. It's amazing. For a quick version, just use store bought turkey or chicken broth.

This month, the Soup Saturday Swappers are sharing soups with the theme "Thanks for the Memories." Making a variation of this soup has been a tradition in our house for at least 20 years, and it is always an adventure. Thanks to Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm for this great theme.

After the recipe, there are even more links to recipes and stories about soup memories. Check them out.

instructions:

To Make the Broth

Place the carcass, wings, and neck into an 8 quart Dutch oven or stock pot. If necessary, break up the carcass to fit it into the pan. Cover with water and add the thyme, parsley, celery, bay leaves peppercorns, and onions.

Bring the pan to a boil, and then immediately reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for four hours, skimming off any foam that may develop.

Season the broth with salt and pepper to taste and strain the broth through a strainer into a large bowl. Discard the bones and cooked vegetables, reserving just the broth. Cover the broth and refrigerate. When the broth has chilled, scrape off any fat that settles on top.

For the Soup

Bring the broth to a simmer. Meanwhile, cut the leftover turkey into bite sized pieces.

Add the carrots and celery, and cook for about 8 minutes.

Add the cooked noodles and corn. Taste the soup and adjust the salt and pepper if necessary.

18 comments:

I love making Turkey Frame soup as well. I had to laugh because my husband has taken over the making of Chicken soup in this house hold so I know how displaced your husband feels when you take a turn LOL

I love this, Karen! The turkey carcass is precious (as is the stock that comes from it)! Your post makes me realize just how much I appreciate Mr. Saucy not venturing into the kitchen! I'd have to cut someone over the turkey carcass! ;)

Well, you certainly deserve to have a meal prepared for you, after all the treats you make all year round lol:D In our household, we have another problem : who's gonna let the other one cook :D:DThis is definitely a great way to use leftover turkey. Excellent, easy to follow and delicious recipe. Kudos!